Winx Club Fan Collection
by ilovewarriorcats123
Summary: A collection of rants and stories about the Winx Club universe.
1. In Defense of 4Kids (rant)

**Hello, everyone! I'm happy to introduce you to my Winx Club Fan Collection! It will contain both rants and fics about the Winx Club universe.**

**Just a few things:**

**\- Spoiler notices will be posted before every chapter.**

**\- The fics will mostly be AUs within my Winx Club timeline.**

**\- When debating certain topics, please be respectful in your reviews.**

**I hope you all enjoy!**

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In Defense of 4Kids' Winx Club

_*MAJOR SPOILERS FOR SEASONS 1, 2 & 3*_

The 4Kids dub was one of the original versions of Winx Club that aired in 2004. When I say one of the originals, I don't mean that 4Kids is, by any stretch of the imagination, the original show. I just mean that it aired right at the dawn of Winx Club, along with the original Italian and Cinélume dub. Its focus was primarily in America, and is the version most original American audiences grew up with.

Many, many people despise the 4Kids dub, calling it tacky and juvenile. It has suffered much of the same contempt as the much-dreaded Nickelodeon dub, probably because both are very American. And I understand a lot of the criticisms of 4Kids – honestly, I even agree with some of them. I can understand a lot of where the 4Kids haters are coming from.

But to equate the 4Kids dub with the Nick disaster is, in my opinion, a mistake. There are a lot of great things about 4Kids that its haters don't acknowledge. It captures a lot of the same charm and excitement as the original, sometimes even doing it better. From an interesting soundtrack to humorous dialogue to phenomenal voice-acting, there are just so many great things about this show that people don't give it credit for.

I will also start with a disclaimer: 4Kids was the version I grew up with. I didn't watch it when it originally came out (considering I was only two years old then), but I did watch it later, when I was fifth grade. I can honestly say that I am so glad I stumbled across the 4Kids dub, and not any of the others. The 4Kids dub was exactly what I needed at that time in my life, as I was undergoing a lot of bullying from the other girls at school. I totally resonated with the mean girls' motif, Bloom's search for validation, and the comfort in having great, loyal friends. I am one of those defend-4Kids-until-my-death people. This dub has huge emotional value for me, and is something that will always be close to my heart.

Having said that, I have watched episodes from the Cinélume dub, and I do enjoy them (some of them even better than 4Kids). I am not anti-other dubs (unless you count Nick, which I utterly, absolutely loathe). But since I am analyzing 4Kids and what it did well, it wouldn't be right if I didn't offer reasons as to how my perspective came to be.

Okay, now that I got that disclaimer out of the way, let's talk about what 4Kids did great, and why it deserves much more credit than it's received.

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#1: Scripts and Censors

The 4Kids dub, as with many of the other dubs, has a completely different script from the original. Different lines are used to appeal to its more American demographic (as opposed to Cinélume's European viewers). As a result, many references to Italian culture are removed.

The setting layout and the schools also undergo many changes. Alfea is a high-school, not a college, in the 4Kids dub. Students refer to themselves as "freshman", "sophomore", and "senior", rather than "first-year", "second-year", and "third-year". The whole mean girls' and bullying theme is much more prevalent in the 4Kids version than in any of the others.

Many of its critics complain that the 4Kids dub is too dumbed-down and childish. For example, in the Cinélume dub, Sky switches identities with Brandon due to terrorism; but in the 4Kids dub, he does it just because he wanted to see what it'd be like. They got rid of a lot of important character-development, such as Tecna's resistance to emotion and Bloom's discovery that she was adopted. Honestly, some of these developments annoyed me, too, because they got rid of so many pivotal scenes. I really wish they hadn't cut and censored all that.

But in all of these complaints, critics don't mention the changes 4Kids made for the better. One important scene is Cinélume's infamous Miss Magix scene, S01E12, where a black girl's Afro is classified as "ugly". However, 4Kids did the right thing and changed the scene, so that her voice was squeaky instead. Another time, they _added _scenes, such as one in S01E17, during Bloom's discovery that Sky had lied to her the whole time. In the original, the girls don't get punished; however, in the 4Kids version, Faragonda tells them that their status as Alfea students will have to be reevaluated. I find this to be much more realistic, as it does show that Bloom isn't faultless, and it raises the stakes when Icy, Darcy, and Stormy attack her home.

And, if we're being honest, Winx wasn't exactly all _that _mature to begin with. People like to make out that Winx Club is like this great, godly cartoon with incredible maturity and depth, but that really isn't the case. I'm not saying that it's _immature_ – after all, I'm eighteen and still watching it – but compared to kids' cartoons such as _Avatar: The Last Airbender_ and _Avatar: The Legend of Korra_, this is nothing. In _Avatar_, terrorism, warfare, politics, colonization, and trauma are all explored in-depth, which are only barely talked about in Winx. Winx Club was never meant to be this worldly show with phenomenal world-building – it was always more of an uplifting and inspiring show for girls, to show them they can be the heroines of their lives no matter what.

I'd also like to point out that 4Kids never changed as much as the haters claim they did. Sure, they changed the lines and some of the characters' motivations so that they actually made _sense_, but they really didn't change the plot. Ultimately, Musa's mother is still dead, Sky and Brandon still lied to their girlfriends, the Trix are still sadistic, and the Nightmare Gargoyle is still terrifying. Can I mention that the nightmares in the 4Kids version are way scarier than in Rai? In 4Kids, they actually rip on the girls' fears with spoken dialogue, whereas in the Rai version, you just have the poorly-animated scenes to depend on.

So, if the Cinélume target-age was for kids ages 9-13, the 4Kids demographic is probably kids 8-12. Not really that different, in my opinion. It's still a show us older folks can enjoy, unlike the Nick dub, which no one backwards of six can watch.

Another thing I really like about the 4Kids version is many of the lines. They use witty dialogue, which is perfectly emulated by the awesome 4Kids actresses (more on that later). I know many people dislike this because it's cheesy and often silly, but I _like _it. I think it's a _good_ thing that the writers used comic-relief, and used it well. The Cinélume dub was honestly just too serious at time – they could've done with a lot more humor, too. Plus, this is a show for 8-12 year-olds, not adults. When people say that it's cheesy, it's because it's not a show for late teens and adults. Tweens love that humor – they really emphasize with it. The line during S03E12, "Tears of the Black Willow" (after Icy, Darcy, and Stormy become toddlers), when Bloom tells them to hurry home before they receive a spanking, was one of the best lines in the entire franchise.

A lot of other shows have gone through the "4Kids treatment" (aka heavy censorship), which is what critics always point out when they blast 4Kids. While I can't speak for the other shows 4Kids censored, as I've never watched them, I don't think that it was an inherently bad thing for Winx Club. Were there some things they could've kept the same as the original? Absolutely. But the whole point of a dub is that it's supposed to appeal to a different demographic than the original. And for the demographic it chose, 4Kids did an awesome job.

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#2: Name-Changes

Another reason why people hate the 4Kids dub is because of all the name-changes 4Kids made. Honestly, this is something that bugs me, too. To get to the point, I'll list the complete list of name-changes I can think of:

_Andros – Tides_

_Domino – Sparx_

_Linphea – Third Moon of Marigold (what?)_

_Melody – Harmonic Nebula_

_Miele – Rose_

_Roccaluce – Emphera_

_Zenith – Third Realm of the Binary Vector_

As you can see, 4Kids doesn't exactly win points for creativity. Names like Andros and Roccaluce actually had good meaning for the series. Andros was named after a Greek island, and Roccaluce means "light rock" in Italian. And changing Miele to Rose? Really? It's as if they thought little kids wouldn't understand that Miele was a flower-fairy (even though she was wearing flowers in her hair). So yeah, I empathize with those who complain about the 4Kids edits.

However… the 4Kids edits aren't nearly as bad as the Nickelodeon ones. They change the transformation "Winx" into "Charmix", which is unforgivable in my opinion. In the original (and yes, this does include 4Kids as well as the real original), Charmix is _completely _separate from Winx. The whole point of Charmix is that it is only acquired after overcoming a personal flaw, which is completely different from Winx – the first transformation is just earned when a fairy is ready. The reason why Nick cut out the real Charmix is because they wanted to skip all the essential character-development (more on that later).

A lot of people don't like that, in the 4Kids dub, Winx has an actual meaning, other than being a pun on "wings". Personally, I disagree. The whole idea of "magic Winx" gave a lot of direction to the show, particularly in the first season. Having Magic Winx was just something that sounded really cool, to be honest.

I also want to point out a really important misconception that many fans seem to have. Many people think that 4Kids changed Aisha's name to Layla. This is NOT true – Cinélume was the one who changed it. (Yes, even Cinélume has changed names from the original). In the original Italian show, Layla was called Aisha, but in the Cinélume version, she was changed to Layla. 4Kids kept the name Layla. When Nick came around, they reverted her name back to Aisha. Personally, I prefer Layla over Aisha, simply because of the name's meaning. Aisha is the name of Prophet Mohammed's wife, while Layla simply means "dark beauty". Layla is too kickass of a character to simply be reduced as anyone's wife, even a great prophet. But that's just my opinion.

Lastly, I want to shed some perspective on this matter: name-changes don't automatically mean that the core themes of the show have been taken away. Yes, depending on personal-preference, they can be annoying, but it doesn't detract from the heart of the show. Even with the name-changes, 4Kids is just as impactful and representative of Winx Club as the Cinélume dub is. Ultimately, name-changes (unless exceptionally horrendous) do not detract from the meaning of a show. Plot and character-changes _do _(more on that later). To be honest, I think the significance of 4Kids' name-changes is often blown out-of-proportion.

I don't have much to say here, because much of what I've said is about personal-preference. It really depends on what you like and don't like, what you can tolerate and what you can't. And I can tolerate the 4Kids name-changes. They're annoying, sure, but they're manageable.

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#3: Character-Development

The 4Kids character-development is fairly similar to that of the Cinélume dub. Even though the haters try to insist that 4Kids had no characters, this is simply not true. Yes, 4Kids shined a different angle on Winx, but that doesn't mean that there was no character-development.

As I've mentioned before, 4Kids took a more "mean-girl" approach than "sadistic villain". They expanded on themes such as bullying and friendship, both of which are extremely relatable to its demographic. Much of Season 1 was taken by the Trix's bullying and cruelty towards the fairies and other witches, which I thought was very well-done. It's an accurate representation of high-school and the struggle for power amongst people.

I also did mention before that they got rid of many scenes, such as Tecna and Musa's development over Season 3. However, the character-development they had was still pretty good. I'm going to go through each of the characters, and provide an over-simplified summary of their development throughout Season 2:

_Bloom:_ Although she found the source of her powers, her insecurity is not completely gone yet. She still craves to find out who she is and who her birth-parents are. This insecurity leads her to naïvety, where she foolishly trusts Avalon. This leads to a rift between her and Sky, who accuses her of liking Avalon more than her. She also still finds it hard to believe in her own powers, which is why she makes foolish moves, such as trying to stop the Trix on her own and squabbling with her friends and Sky. This reaches a natural progression where she is spelled into giving up the Codex, which leads Bloom to reach a deep state of anger towards her friends, and mainly, herself. This is resolved when she saves everyone in the Wildlands and confesses her feelings, thus earning her Charmix. Yet, her character is not done developing, as she is still taken by Avalon to Darkar's realm. Eventually, the ultimate test of her character-development comes when Sky confesses his love to her. Bloom finally learns to trust him, and to not lose faith in her friends.

_Stella:_ She is very shallow and selfish in the beginning, sticking mainly to her belief that she is everyone's savior. She often disregards her friends' feelings, such as Layla's loneliness and Musa's crush on Riven. A good reason for her faux indifference was shown in Season 1: her parents have divorced, and she covers up her vulnerability with superciliousness. This natural trajectory leads to their loss of the Codex in Cloud Tower, when she is too busy squabbling with her friends and establishing her superiority to save the Codex. However, when push comes to shove, she pulls herself together and realizes the value in her friends. Notably, when she works with Layla to take down Darcy's convergence monster, and when she does her part to save her friends in the Resort Realm. The culmination of her development comes when she admits to Layla that she's insecure, but it doesn't mean that she doesn't want to be her friend. Ultimately, she comes to a point where she realizes that her insecurities are holding her back from her friendships, and that it is more important to be vulnerable and have friends than be cold and friendless. At this point, her values change, and she realizes what's important in her life.

_Musa:_ She is very similar to Stella in many regards, such as her desire to put up a tough-front whenever she feels emotionally-vulnerable. This makes her bond with Layla, who is going through many of the same problems. She hates being domineered over, as shown when she rebels against Riven and her father's command that she give up music. However, her reasons for emotional-vulnerability are different from Stella's. While Stella shoves them deep under, Musa is aware of her feelings, but doesn't want to express them, for fear that she'll be ridiculed. Eventually, she realizes that fear can't hold her back forever, and admits to Riven that she likes him. This thus earns her a Charmix.

_Flora:_ She is very shy throughout the series. She likes Helia very much, but is afraid to express her emotions. In addition, she often lets her hesitance and insecurity about her own skills get the better of her. For example, when the Trix rush for Red Fountain's Codex, she refuses to let Bloom and Tecna heal her, telling them to go follow the Trix and that she'll catch up with them later. This insecurity is one of the reasons why the Red Fountain Codex is taken. Since she is passive and afraid of direct acknowledgement of her feelings, it leads to many instances where she feels dissatisfied with her relationship with Helia. Finally, when push comes to shove, she realizes that she can either heal the Flower of Life or let it whither away. The dire situation forces her to believe in herself, which later leads her to confess her feelings to Helia. She therefore receives her Charmix.

_Tecna:_ She is not good with showing emotion, particularly because that was how she was brought up. Therefore, she becomes angry with Timmy for not making the first move in their relationship. Since she is insecure about her emotions, she instead relies heavily on her logic, even when it is flawed. For example, she attacks Avalon, not allowing herself to even consider that he might be innocent. Her head becomes practically swollen with the idea that she is a logical mastermind, and she tries to prove herself in that way, knowing that she is not up to the same emotional intelligence as the other girls. It is only when she nearly loses Timmy that she breaks down, telling him that she likes him and that she doesn't want to lose him. She walks away with an important realization: that she can and should show emotion when warranted, and that she doesn't need to prove herself through her analytical skills.

_Layla:_ She starts out as a very lonely, isolated character, the reason being that she was hidden much of her childhood. Much of her early interactions with the Winx are nervous and suspicious, with her feeling that she is isolated from them as a group. She soon bonds with Musa, seeing a lot of similar characteristics in her. Throughout the series, the sense of isolation is present, notable when she runs crying out of the Simulator Room and explains her childhood to Musa; although she hates being isolated, she doesn't know how to make herself feel like a part of the group. Just before they depart to the Resort Realm, she even comments that if she just stayed at Alfea, no one would even notice. However, when the girls face trouble in the Resort Realm, she is separated from her friends, and her worst nightmare comes true. While in the cave, she realizes that it doesn't matter whether the other girls view her as friends or not – she knows they're in danger, and that she has to help them. This realization makes her feel like a part of their group, and therefore makes her receive her Charmix.

I could've gone a lot deeper with this, but even at its most basic level, this is not shallow character-development at all. It was well-thought out, and well-done by the 4Kids writers. Yes, it can be argued that all the character-development was initially done by the original Cinélume writers, and that 4Kids didn't add anything to it. Well, I'm here to disagree, and point out that there were some scenes added by 4Kids that definitely improved the character-development even further.

_S01E09:_ In the Cinélume version, Stella acts completely out-of-character. She insults all of her friends, making fun of Bloom's problems and Musa's crush on Riven. While Stella is known to be conceited and insensitive, she doesn't have a malicious nature, and her remarks go beyond simple insensitivity. She implies that Bloom is stupid for being raised on Earth, and that Musa is stupid for liking Darcy; essentially, she says these things very deliberately to hurt her friends. In the Cinélume version, she said these things out of her own judgment; but in the 4Kids version, she did it because she was under a mood-swing spell. Although this isn't a great solution to her out-of-character attitude, it makes a lot more sense than what Cinélume did, and how Musa and Stella miraculously make up in the end. Honestly, I don't think Musa and Bloom should've forgiven Stella that easily. It was a lot more than she deserved, after those extremely hurtful comments.

_S01E17:_ When Bloom attacks Diaspro in front of everyone, the Cinélume writers let her get away scot-free. They instead place all the onus on Sky and Brandon, saying that it was their fault for lying to the girls. On some level, this is true; however, Bloom wasn't innocent either. When it became clear that Diaspro was not Icy, Bloom should've backed down and apologize; instead, she attacked. In the Cinélume version, the Winx aren't punished for their deception. However, in the 4Kids version, their powers are diluted, and they are told they may be expelled by the end of the year. This is much more realistic, as it makes the stakes even higher when the Trix attack Bloom's home. It also adds to Bloom's misery about her mistake, and leads her to a point where she clearly believes that she doesn't belong in the Magical Dimension.

_S02E12:_ When Musa meets Jared, he tells her that Riven talked about her, which enrages Musa for some reason. This doesn't make much sense to me; yes, even if Musa is angry about Riven's rudeness, he still has the right to talk about her, just as Musa and the girls have the right to talk about the boys they like. However, in the 4Kids version, Musa gets angry after finding out that Stella set her up with Jared. This is much more logical, because we already know Stella's meddling nature, and how she often disregards her friends' feelings. It also leads to more tension between Musa and Stella, which makes sense, considering their opposing natures.

And yes, there were some dumb moves 4Kids made. But these edits, in my opinion, contributed well to the plot of the series, and to the character-development as well. They made the show just as enjoyable as the Cinélume dub, in its own way. Few of their edits took away the important character-development of the original show.

You know what _does _contribute to poor character-development? Axing two pivotal seasons and instead replacing them with "specials". The Nick specials, in my opinion, are an abomination and an insult to the name Winx Club. What of all the pivotal character-development in Season 2? Gone. They rushed production of the specials in order to get their stamp on the show, and in so doing it, botched it completely.

Another thing I hate about the Nick dub is that they took away all sense of character. In Season 4, undeniably one of the worst seasons ever, they made all the girls the _same_ as each other. Instead of retaining their unique personalities, they made them bland girly-girls, with bland voices to match. Even the villains' personalities and voices sucked – I mean, they had Icy sacrifice herself for _Tritannus_! *facepalm* The 4Kids voices were awesome (which, again, I'll get to later). In doing so, they effectively removed all character-development.

I think I've said all I've needed to say about character-development. Moving on…

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#4: Animation, Music, and Other Props

The 4Kids animation is essentially the same as the original, except for a few changes. They did edit some of the cleavage shown by the girls, and the costumes in S02E16, due to American copyright laws. Which is fine, in my opinion. When you're appealing to a different demographic and culture, certain changes have to be made, whether the original fans like it or not. Other than that, the 4Kids dub used the same animation, but different scripts in order to create its own version.

Now to move onto the music, my favorite thing about the 4Kids dub. It is just… awesome. And when I say awesome, it is undeniably better than the Cinélume music. It has a certain feel to it, one that perfectly accentuates every scene and character.

To start off, the opening song. It is extremely catchy, and has an undeniable beat and theme. The moment I heard the first lyrics "Close your eyes, and open your heart", I fell in love with Winx Club. The lyrics perfectly capture the desire to know oneself, the delight at having friends, and the wonder of the exciting world of Magix. The special percussion effects make it feel so special and unique. In addition, the scenes they show in the opening sequence are so iconic, such as Bloom's gaze into the mirror, her first magical attack, seeing Daphne for the first time, and her transformation-sequence. "It Feels Like Magic" encapsulates the same charm, the excitement of being a fairy and having a magical power.

I love all of the music they play during scenes. Every. Single. One. The pixies' theme has so much charm to it, the Red Fountain heroics' theme sparks of adventure, and the victory theme played after battle just makes my heart sing with joy. One of the most striking themes in the dub is the sad music played whenever something tragic happens. During the scene where Musa sees her mother (S03E22), I always cry, and not just because of the context. The music is so telling in itself. When Musa's mother says "I'm so proud of you," I always lose it. Always. The Cinélume version of that scene simply doesn't do it justice.

The transformation music is also so iconic. "We are the Winx" plays in the Winx and Charmix transformations, a reprise of the opening-song. And the Enchantix music? I'm betting 99% of the 4Kids haters will disappear when they hear that music. It is just so otherworldly, goddesslike, and _enchanted_ – everything that Enchantix is about.

The transformation scenes are also good. Many people complain that 4Kids cut the transformation-scenes shorter, but I was so happy that they did that. We only need to see the full-length transformation the first time they acquire it and the last time in the season, before they defeat the villain. The Cinélume transformation-scenes were just so long and repetitive that, after a point, I just have to skip forward. Plus, 4Kids had to cut some of the transformation-parts out, because they would've been taken to court about the nudity. I do wish that they hadn't gotten rid of the fairy-dust scenes, though. Those were good and meaningful to the story.

I also like all the other songs played in in the interludes between scenes. The songs capture what it means to be a teen girl (or at least what it meant to be one in 2004 – the show _is _dated, after all). To be fair, though, I don't really know the Cinélume songs played (except their opening-song, which I like as well), so I can't really compare. All I know is that the 4Kids songs are great. They capture what it means to be a girl, without going too girly or sparkly like the Nick songs.

My absolute favorite song in the 4Kids dub is "Mean Girls". A lot of my fellow 4Kids-lovers will point it as their favorite song too, iconic in their childhood. It perfectly captures Icy's essence as the head bully of the schools, and is just so downright funny. Not to mention, it's so _true_. Mean girls _do _lead the herd, just because everyone gives them that power. This song helped me through some very difficult times when I was in fifth-grade, when all the mean girls in my school were causing me trouble. It allowed me to contextualize and shed some perspective on the problem, particularly when it felt as if the bullying was part of my entire world.

If you don't like 4Kids for whatever reason, go and listen to the music, and then watch the scenes in which the music was played. Seriously. Even if you like nothing else about the dub, at least admit that the music is awesome.

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#5: Voices

I take back what I said before. _This _is my favorite thing about the 4Kids dub. Out of all the dubs, the voice-actresses are simply the best the show has to offer.

To start, I'll go with a list of voice-actors, the ones that starred in the 4Kids dub:

_Bloom – Lisa Jacqueline_

_Stella – Caren Manuel_

_Flora – Kerry Williams_

_Musa – Lisa Ortiz_

_Tecna – Dani Schaffel_

_Layla – Vasthy Mompoint_

_Icy – Lisa Ortiz (my hero!)_

I love, _love _the voices. Layla's voice is so brave and endearing throughout the series, and very down-to-Earth, as with her personality. Stella's voice is so hyper and cheerful, which juts suits her personality so well, and Bloom's voice is full of courage and a fire of its own. Flora's voice is so sweet and gentle, reflecting her character perfectly. And I love, _love _Tecna's British accent. It just suits her so well.

But none of them have anything on Lisa Ortiz. She is the single reason why 4Kids Winx Club is so great. I swear, she is like a goddess, the way her voice sounds! The fact that she can do both Musa and Icy, whose voices are on opposite ends of the spectrum, never ceases to amaze me. And she does it so well!

Musa's voice is very hip-hop and cheerful, and her lines usually reflect that. She always cracks me up with her puns, how she calls out Stella whenever she does something stupid, and how she talks like a hipster. It is just so cool, and she delivers the best jokes and lines with it.

Icy, by contrast, is uncaring and cruel. Her voice is cold, sadistic, spiteful, sexy, and the ultimate mean-girl voice. It is so perfect for her, and just makes her sound like the ultimate villain. And she delivers so many well-versed punches with it, like the times she insults the Winx, calls them "pixies" (a 4Kids insult for fairies), and calls them "losers" in her perfect voice. The Winx may have beaten them in the end, but make no mistake, Icy OWNED them all. Darcy's voice is also pretty good – it's very seductive, which is perfect for her Riven-crush scene.

A lot of people complain that the 4Kids voices are high-pitched, and that some of the voices are silly. Really? Are you trying to tell me that the Cinélume voices are better? Layla's voice is good, Bloom's voice is okay, but the rest of them? Stella sounds like a rude, spoiled brat (which does match her personality, but still), Flora's is too sugary, and Tecna and Musa's voices sound like the same person. Booo-ring! In the third season, Musa's voice sounds like she has a cold, and is way too girly for her tomboy personality. Plus, the Trix don't sound like villains. At all. In the scene where Icy attacks Bloom in Gardenia (S01E18), she actually sounds _nice_. It makes me completely forget that she's about to rip the Dragon Fire right out of Bloom's soul.

I know that people complain that Tecna sounds stuck-up in the 4Kids version, which I can understand – her voice does sound a bit affected. However, this _does _match her personality, particularly in Season 2, when she tries to build herself up through her logic, trying to make out that she's better than Timmy. To be fair, by that definition, Stella's Cinélume voice suits her as well. However, I would argue that the 4Kids voice is better, because it brings out her courageous side and how dang funny she can be at times.

If you need further proof, check out this video clip: www . youtube (youknowwhatgoeshere) /watch?v=jxnNCZyaqWA It is a comparison of Icy's voice in the Cinélume, 4Kids, and Nick dubs, in the scene where Bloom loses her Dragon Fire. Notice how much more sinister Icy's 4Kids voice sounds than that of the other dubs. Then check out the comments, and you'll see how many people absolutely idolize Lisa Ortiz and her contribution to Winx Club. I'm not by any means the only one.

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Conclusion

The 4Kids dub is far from perfect. I think we can all agree that no show, dub, or artistic creation can ever be perfect. But the 4Kids staff worked wonders with it, and created their own stamp on Winx. From the witty dialogue to the emotional music to the superb voice-acting, it is clear that the 4Kids artistic-staff were very invested in their creation of Winx Club.

What never fails to tick me off is when fans complain about how unfaithful the 4Kids Winx Club was to the original. I've noticed that, in the fandom, there seems to be some kind of pseudo-hierarchy in ranking the dubs from "most faithful" being the highest, and "least faithful" being the lowest. By those standards, 4Kids inevitably ends up being at the bottom (aside from Nick, which is completely indefensible for a completely different set of reasons).

This really, _really _irritates me for a variety of reasons. First of all, original doesn't always mean _better_. If that were the case, we'd still be in a Stone Age society, wielding stone axes and hunting for survival. As we advance, we evolve to be more efficient and meet our changing needs. Since 4Kids was given a license to distribute and dub in the U.S., the company needed to make the necessary changes in order to appeal to an American audience. Whether you like it or not depends on personal preference, but the argument that it's not the original Italian show is irrelevant. Even if you've watched the Italian show and love it to death, you cannot argue its superiority based off of that alone.

Secondly, why is the Italian dub so revered when most of us have never even _watched _it? Cinélume fans love to rag on about how their favorite dub is _so _similar to the original, and how the 4Kids dub is so… not. There are so many English-speaking fans of Winx Club who don't know a word of Italian. Yet, when it comes to the original Italian show, there seems to be some kind of godlike reverence, as if it's absolutely flawless and impeccable. Why? Fans, please don't do this. It's really a dangerous trap to fall into, revering something when you have absolutely no idea what it is. Just take that life-advice from me, okay? It's just not a good idea.

Before we end, I want to share a very personal anecdote that I've been alluding to for so long. When I was in fifth-grade, I underwent bullying in my school. The girls in my class used to sneer at me for what I wore, how I looked in the locker-room, and try to create drama between me and my sole friend (who eventually left me, which of course, left me friendless). This, naturally, made me feel very isolated from everyone else at school, and I began to seriously believe that something was wrong with me. I began to believe that I wasn't acting like a proper girl, and that I'd never have friends. I had never felt so lonely and lost.

Bored during winter-break of that year, I stumbled across Winx Club. That week, away from everyone at school and binge-watching Winx Club, was one of the best of my life. I completely empathized with Bloom's insecurities, Layla's loneliness, and the bullying Musa faced during Season 1. Most of all, I loved the friendship the six girls formed – it was something I'd never experienced in my entire life.

Had I watched the Cinélume version instead, I don't think I would've gotten the same emotions from Winx Club. The storyline would've been basically the same, true, but the lack of humor and mediocre voice-acting wouldn't have added the same element of excitement. The same mean-girls sentiment, which panged me every day of my fifth-grade life, just wasn't there in the Cinélume episodes. I would've probably stuck it out and watched the whole thing, but it just wouldn't have been the same. I certainly wouldn't be re-watching the series and writing fanfic about it, seven years later. The original Italian cartoon already had a great storyline of its own, but 4Kids took what the Italians made and elevated it far beyond.

Winx Club, in itself, was an amazing franchise. And so is Cinélume, to be honest. But nothing captures the charm and allure of 4Kids' Winx Club. It was the dub that got me through hell and back, and will never leave me, even as I step out of childhood and into the unknown. No matter how many times I watch the other dubs, no matter how many comments I read from the haters, 4Kids will always have a special place in my heart.


	2. Resistance Chronicles, Part 1 (fic)

**Hello, everyone! This is the first installment of the Resistance Chronicles, a set of stories that follows Timmy's journey through Zenith as he tries to find Tecna. I hope you enjoy!**

**Major spoilers for Seasons 1-3. ****Companion to Chapter 30 of AUP.**

* * *

The Resistance Chronicles, Part I

_The Hero's Pledge_

Timmy gazed around the astonishingly-clean city of Kremniy, holding his pack of items together. Gazing around, he took a step forward, trying to figure out what his next move was.

So far, the mission was going smoothly. He'd landed at the outpost, a small satellite just within Zenith's atmosphere, and received clearance to land in Kremniy. UR students were allowed to go anywhere within the UR domain without a visa, and with minimal interference from customs and spaceport staff. He parked his spacecraft in the diplomats' section of Kremniy Interrealm Spaceport.

That was when he'd had to leave everything behind. He'd tossed his uniform, blaster, cell-phone, ID, and anything that could've identified him as a Red Fountain student, into the spacecraft. All he had left was a set of food, clothes, and a device mainly used for Interrealm Translate. Since it didn't have location- or Web-services on it, no one would be able to track him down.

He sighed, wondering what his parents had been told. They were probably horrified that their little Timmy had gone out on such a dangerous mission by himself. They were probably in shambles right now, wondering what in Rajana's name was to be done. Saladin was going to have a tough time explaining – particularly considering he was Timmy's paternal uncle.

Most people thought that Timmy had gotten into Red Fountain because his uncle was headmaster. They scorned his lack of skill at fencing and wrangling, and whispered about him behind his back. In fact, Timmy would've been rejected from Red Fountain, if it wasn't for his impressive skill in math, physics, and coding. During his otherwise-miserable interview, he'd repaired a Red Fountain computer, allowing for three-hundred percent more accuracy in detecting intruders. That very computer was the only reason why Red Fountain had stood so long in the battle against the Army of Decay.

And yet, he still wasn't good enough. If he'd been a good enough boyfriend, Tecna would've never disappeared. He could still imagine her going down the portal, disappearing from Melody for good –

_Why am I thinking of the past? _He clenched his fists. _None of that matters anymore! I just need to find Tecna! _He closed his eyes, looking around.

He'd only been in Zenith for a day, and yet, he still couldn't get used to the culture-shock. Though he was wearing a magimask, people still shot him strange looks, obviously knowing he was a foreigner. In Magix, the streets were often bustling and filled with energy, but in Zenith, everything was _quiet_. The silence was something he wasn't used to, something he wasn't sure of. The beautiful steel buildings gleamed coldly at him, giving him no answers as he walked around.

Now that he thought of it, this mission was becoming more and more hopeless. He'd stormed into Zenith without so much as a clear idea as to what he was going to do, or where Tecna could've gone. All he knew was that Tecna _had _to have come here somewhere. He had no doubt he would find her –

"Help!"

The shout came directly behind him. Timmy froze as he saw a bearded man with a metal leg, one which appeared to be broken. He had an anguished expression on his face, one of pure terror.

Two policemen were converging on the man, furious expressions on their faces. They began to shout at him, calling in Unified Zenithian. Pulling out blasters, they pointed at him, telling him to get on the ground.

_Ignore them, ignore them, keep moving on… _But no matter what, he couldn't get the image of the terrified man out of his mind. Finally, confusion overtook him, and he whipped out a device, connecting it to Interrealm Translate and reading in Magixian.

_"Cyborgs aren't allowed outside – are you not up to-date with the news?"_

_ "Please, sirs, I only wanted to get a coffee!"_

_ "It'll be fun torturing this one."_

Timmy's fists clenched. He hated seeing this injured cyborg facing attack, especially when he'd done nothing wrong. _Just like my Tecna… _But he knew getting arrested was counterproductive to his own goals of finding Tecna. _I need to lie low and not get into trouble!_

Then he saw the blaster detonate. A ray of light shot out, pinning the cyborg to the ground.

Immediately, Timmy drew out his own blaster. Pointing it straight at the policeman with the blaster, he stunned him temporarily. The second man immediately ran towards him, aiming his weapon at Timmy.

But he was ready. Dodging the attack, he darted out of the way, feeling a strength he knew Tecna would've approved of. He shot straight at the man, shouting, "For Tecna!" Launching a punch at the man, he shot forward – straight into the ground.

He didn't realize what was happening until the man pinned him down to the ground. The other policeman had recovered, and was glaring down at him. They both dragged him to a police-van, muttering something in Zenithian.

_How could I have been so foolish? _Why had Timmy fought for the cyborg man, especially when it hadn't helped anything? No matter what, Tecna was still missing. He groaned weakly as the men lifted him up, carrying him towards the van.

Then, just as suddenly, the two men collapsed. Timmy again fell to the ground, his glasses creaking. Staring upwards, he let out a gasp.

The cyborg was standing above him, his hands glowing with magic. His metal leg was miraculously fine, and he looked far less scared, far more confident. He extended a hand to Timmy, who stared at him in disbelief.

"Good job, lad," he said in the Common Tongue, his harsh Zenithian accent coming through. "Got a lot to explain to you on the way down."

* * *

The next thing he knew, they had disappeared, through an endless void of space and time. Timmy let out a yell as he was teleported, an uncomfortable sensation coming over him. He landed immediately, staring around at where he'd come from.

He was in a tunnel. There was nothing but the light of the cyborg's – or wizard's – magic to guide them. He stared at the wizard in disbelief.

"You mean that whole thing was a trick?" he demanded. "You weren't in any danger at all? What's wrong with you?"

"A common type of recruitment mission," the man smiled. "We do this every now and then. It's pretty awesome, watching those self-righteous idiots get a kick in the face."

_Recruitment for _what_? _Timmy thought angrily. He glared at him.

"Listen, I don't have time for this," he snapped. "I'm kind of on a search mission, okay? Now would you mind teleporting me back up to the street?"

The man chuckled. "Not until you see what we're doing!" Grabbing Timmy by the arm, he led him down the tunnel.

As they walked down, Timmy's eyes adjusted to the light. The stench of the underground grew stronger as they walked forwards. Timmy stared around, taking in all the sights around.

He saw people tired, bedraggled and exhausted. Their clothes were filled with soot, dark from the factories. A man and two children – a boy and a girl – were eating ration-bars, a gray type of sludge that took away all of Timmy's appetite. Two old women were walking down towards the chamber, walking with a limp – one of them had a missing hand. A woman was holding a baby at her breast, sleeping, even though the tunnel was unclean and unsanitary, much unlike the city he'd been in just moments before.

"Who are they?" he asked in disbelief.

"We are citizens of this wretched nation," the man with the two children answered coolly. "My twins – Fyodor and Fedora" – he pointed to the boy and girl – "have been working for eighteen hours every day at the hydraulic factory, with five-minute breaks for meals. They lost their mother in a machinery accident two years ago. Kesha is taking care of her mother, Lydia" – he pointed to one of the old women, who was nursing the woman with the missing hand – "a military veteran, who has lost her hand not to the brave defense of this country, but to petty internal suppressions. Their pension is low, and Kesha is barely able to front her mother's medical bills. And as for Irina" – he pointed to the woman with the baby – "well, she's dying. She had a medical condition which made her too weak to work, but when her husband died, she had no choice but to go to the factories herself. She carried his child all throughout these months, and was forced to work every day, despite being too frail. She is convinced she'll live to see Alexei reach adulthood, but we all know better."

"That – that's" – Timmy stared at the group of people, feeling sick to his stomach.

He had never encountered poverty of any type. Like Tecna, he'd grown up in a sheltered environment, and had been fairly well-off. Growing up in a wealthy suburb, he'd never known anything other than comfort. His parents, Lilia and Ishaan Singh, lived very comfortable lives as magiball instructors, teaching the _de facto _national sport of Magix. Even when he'd gone to Red Fountain, he'd never had to worry about too much. His biggest problem in life had always been fitting in.

At Vidhatra High School, people had always been so _narrow-minded_. Since it was such a small, monogamous community consisting solely of fairies, he'd never really gotten to know a large variety of people. Even though Red Fountain was far more diverse, everyone had been so gung-ho and macho. Sky and Brandon had been nice, sure, but he'd never found a group of people he actually commiserated with.

_But these people can't fit into _life_. _He could see that, should they cease work for a single day, these people would _die_. They were barely handling things as it was, and it was obvious they couldn't go on forever.

"Don't worry, Dzon!" Rasputin said with oblivious glee. "I can tell he's gonna be a great recruit! I'll get the capt" –

"What is all this racket?" a voice interrupted. A navy-haired woman with sharp brown eyes walked into the room. In the glow of the candlelight, her skin was pale, and she had an austere expression on her face. She glared down at the cyborg.

"Cadet Rasputin," she said severely, "have you found a recruit for the Resistance?"

"Yes, Captain Mara," the cyborg answered cheerfully. "He's here." He pointed to Timmy.

_I'm not a recruit! _Timmy wanted to say. But somehow, he couldn't find it in his mouth to refuse. He stared up at the woman, who scrutinized Timmy. Timmy felt as if he was being skewered by her dark gaze. Finally, the captain sniffed, turning away.

"A Magixian," she said. "An Iyengar, I see."

Timmy stared, surprised that she knew. Amongst Magixian fairy-beings, there were two races – Iyers and Iyengars. Iyers were darker-skinned and lived closer to the poles, and believed in the far more traditional aspects of magic. They were a much more exclusive community and did not allow anyone to convert to their religions, but were also known to have great skill. Iyengars were lighter-skinned, a mix of immigrant cultures and native Magixians. They dominated the equator, and were much freer in their religions and their thinking. Timmy and Saladin were Iyengars, as were Faragonda, Griffin, and Krishnan.

"Don't look so surprised," she answered. "We study history, even that which is not our own. If you were an Iyer, I might trust you – but Iyengars are a whole different story."

Timmy winced. For those who weren't native to Magix – and those within Magix, too – there was an abundance of stereotypes about Iyers and Iyengars. Iyers were scorned as prudish and traditionalistic, while Iyengars were considered greedy businessmen. Iyers, however, were often more respected by interrealm people, as they were considered to have higher morals. They also abhorred materialism and lived very simple lifestyles, particularly the priestly people. Amongst the interrealm community, Iyengars gave Magix a bad name – they were the reason why people saw Magixians as greedy capitalists, who wanted nothing but to dominate the market and media.

"A foreigner such as you cannot possibly help," she continued. "Rasputin, take him back up to the surface. Make sure to put a memory spell on him so he does not remember the Resistance – well, until it wears off, anyways."

"But, ma'am," Rasputin protested.

"That was an order," Mara snapped.

Timmy frowned. He gazed around the chamber, at the people who were suffering, unable to live another day. He gazed at Rasputin – who had been stopped on the street simply for being a cyborg. And then he thought about Tecna, who'd lived nothing but a hard life. A slow understanding began to dawn upon him.

_"Whatever path ya wanna go on, life often takes ya somewhere else." _At last he understood the wisdom of the Chef of Magix's words. If he walked away now, he would be turning his back on all the cyborgs, people like Tecna. And he couldn't let that happen. He turned to Mara and opened his mouth.

"I wish to pledge myself to the Resistance," he found himself saying. The old woman with the missing hand stared up at him in surprise, but he continued speaking. "I want to help. I want to do what's right."

"So you want to spread your Magixian ideals of supremacy and democracy here?" Mara laughed. "Don't you realize that we don't _care _about your democracy? Our people just want to _live _properly, without pain and suffering!"

"No," Timmy said quietly. "My girlfriend – or former girlfriend, I guess – is a cyborg from Zenith, and I want to help her people. I can't stand watching cyborgs getting beat up on the street." He gestured to Rasputin. "I want to stop it."

"All right, Magix boy," Mara said coldly. "How can _you _help _us_?"

"Well, uh – I'm a great programmer," Timmy said sheepishly.

"We have plenty of good programmers," Mara answered. "We don't _need _you!"

"It isn't just me," Timmy said. An idea had begun to take hold. "It's my girlfriend. She's a far greater programmer than I am."

"Hmm." Mara surveyed him. "And who might this girlfriend – or ex-girlfriend, as you say – be?"

"Anastasia Ivanova."

For a moment, there was silence. Then Dzon laughed. "We've heard all about her – she died to save Melody from destruction. A dead person can't exactly help us, can she?"

"_She's not dead_." Timmy stared pleadingly into Mara's eyes. "I just _know _that she somehow survived. I _know _she'll make it back here somehow, wherever she is, and come to help us. But we need to find her and bring her here to help us."

"Hmm." Mara frowned. "Anastasia Ivanova is indeed an icon amongst the cyborg population. She is proof that cyborgs can surmount discrimination and be stronger than most. If she somehow _is _alive, she could turn the tide against our losses. I'll humor you, lover boy." She gazed at him. "We'll search for her, but in return, you must promise us undying loyalty. Will you stand amongst us?"

"I will," Timmy vowed. Mara's eyes gleamed.

"Very well, then. Welcome to the Resistance."


	3. Resistance Chronicles, Part 2 (fic)

**Major spoilers for Seasons 1-3. ****Companion to Chapter 32 of AUP.**

* * *

The Resistance Chronicles, Part II

_Life Force_

The tunnels were dark as Timmy walked through, gazing around at the underground paths. Using his lantern, he gazed around, looking at the tunnels before him.

"How'd you find these tunnels?" he asked Rasputin, who grinned.

"These tunnels are ancient," he grinned. "In antiquity, the monarchs were able to use it as a secret passage of escape, if necessary. In the past millennium, they have been used for communication for the Resistance; our people use them to travel. A few of them have been blocked off, and the ones closer to the Upper District of Kremniy were discovered by the authorities; however, most of them are safe for us to travel. We are heading to the Lower District now to hear General Ivan Trotsky."

"Who?" Timmy asked confusedly. Rasputin's eyes went wider.

"How have you not heard of them?" he asked. "He's only the great leader of the Resistance! A great revolutionary, one meant for the ages!"

"Um… okay," Timmy frowned. "But what are we needed for?"

Rasputin grinned. "You're going to pledge yourself to the Resistance, in front of the people of the Lower District – those who are in the Resistance, anyways. He's giving a speech." He sighed. "Oh, I just love the man! He's the best speechmaker ever!"

They reached a pipe. Timmy stared at it in confusion, and then turned towards Rasputin. "Are we in a storm-drain?"

"Yes, we are!" Rasputin said cheerfully. "Or heading up to one, anyhow. We're crawling up closer to the surface. There's a chamber higher where everyone is standing!" He climbed into the pipe; with a shudder of disgust, Timmy followed him.

It was slimy and wet. The tunnel was barely large enough for him to crawl through, although thankfully there was no smell. _I can't wait to get out of this place…_

He had never been very adventurous. His family had been quite disappointed that he'd showed no interest in magiball, instead preferring to stay inside and learn physics and math. Loving and supportive, but disappointed nonetheless. Of course, his older brother had been great at everything, and a prodigy at the one thing they'd coveted – magiball.

Needless to say, Jay Singh's dreams had been completely supported all throughout his life. Lilia and Ishaan had taken him to magiball practices, got him lessons with the best instructors, and cheered when he'd gotten a scholarship to Indra University for his skills. He was lauded as somewhat of a celebrity in their hometown. He played in a minor magiball league based in Vyagrha, a province of Magix.

Timmy had barely known him. Jay was forty years older than him, and had already established himself in magiball by the time Timmy was born. But every step of his childhood, he had always felt as if he was in Jay's shadow. His teachers fondly remembered him as "Jay's brother", and even some of the students seemed to know who Jay was.

Timmy hadn't been born with natural talent. He wasn't a prodigy like Jay, or even like Tecna. Everything he'd been good at, he'd had to work hard for, his entire life. His parents had gotten him an Iyer tutor for math and physics, and he'd spent countless hours reworking problems. Even then, he would never be as good as someone like Tecna, who had been born with natural talent, _and _had worked far harder than he'd ever done in his life. He sighed and gazed out of the tunnel's opening, and then he froze.

In front of them was a pitiful group of people, huddled and cramped within the tiny chamber. Their faces were gaunt and exhausted, and many of them had missing fingers or even toes. They all had soot all over their faces and clothes.

"_This _is the Resistance?" he whispered to Rasputin.

"Don't be foolish," Mara snapped, walking up to him. "Our forces are far too vast to fit in this small tunnel. Our General moves around from place to place, making small speeches for the people of the Resistance."

Timmy looked over at Ivan, who was speaking in a high, excited voice. The language he spoke sounded slightly different from Unified Zenithian, and he knew that the people of the factories must speak a different dialect or maybe even a different language altogether. He stared up at Ivan, slowly taking him in.

The man had long indigo hair that fell down to his shoulders, knotted and tangled like that of a sailor's. He had a rugged look in his eyes, one that seemed as if he'd been through a lot. His beard and moustache were also unkempt. He spoke in a pompous manner, but in a voice that seemed to have strength embedded inside.

Rasputin sighed, his eyes adoring. "Isn't he a genius?" he grinned.

"Uh… yeah," Timmy said, frowning. Suddenly, a man stood up, stopping Ivan mid-speech and shouting at him.

Timmy backed away, startled. "What's he saying?" he whispered to Mara.

"He's tired of suffering for so long," she answered. "He wants results, not empty promises."

Ivan was trying to calm the man down, speaking in a stern voice, but it wasn't helping. The people behind the man were shouting at him too, angrier and angrier.

_There's going to be an all-out riot if they don't stop! _They were far too close to the surface for this kind of argument; sooner, or later, they were going to get caught by someone, and then what? There'd be fighting, and these people would all be taken into custody. People whose only crime was being born into poverty. He gazed around at those people, whose faces were full of anger.

He could understand their pain very well. To them, a few small gains or trites from the Resistance weren't enough – they needed tangible results after investing their time – and their lives – into the Resistance. If Ivan didn't give them something soon, they were going to leave – and he could tell he needed the support of these people.

_Just like how I need Tecna's support. _All this time, he'd been unbelievably miserable at not having Tecna by his side, and frustrated that his search for her had, insofar, been futile. But now he saw what frustration and impatience could do to an entire movement. _But I have a solution for these people… _Without stopping to think, he shouted, "I can help!"

The people turned their heads to him in confusion. Eyes narrowed. He saw Ivan's eyes widen in surprise, and Rasputin staring at him in bewilderment. Mara smacked him on the head.

"You fool!" she hissed. "You can't do _anything_. What do you expect to be able to" –

"I have an idea," he insisted, pushing past her. "I have a solution for your problem."

No reaction. He realized, with dismay, that most of the people didn't speak any of the Common Tongue. _Of course. _These people were barely educated in their own language, much less the language of the UR. Ivan glared at him.

"Captain Mara," he said, "haven't you taught recruits to keep their mouths closed unless spoken to?"

"Don't blame her," Timmy said boldly. "I'm an idiot of my own accord."

Ivan laughed. "I like this one," he said. "Fine, then. Come on up here." To the crowd he said something in Unified Zenithian, presumably a translation.

Timmy stood up on the rock, gazing around the room. He felt self-conscious as he looked at them, taking everything in.

"Do you all remember the girl, Anastasia, who sacrificed herself for the Omega Portal?" he asked. "She is alive. I don't know where she is, but I'm going to find her. And once I do, I'm going to help her with the Resistance."

Rasputin translated. The people looked at each other in disbelief, staring up at Timmy.

"They want to know how you know she's alive," Mara said from the back. "And quite frankly, so do I."

"I just _do_, okay?" he insisted. "Listen, if we can find her, she'll do everything she can to help you. We _need _to find her."

"But how do you _know_?" Rasputin translated for a cyborg woman. "How do you know she's alive? These people aren't going to just follow you because of a gut feeling."

Timmy wanted to punch someone right at that moment. _Why can't they just _understand_? _But he knew that if he lost control of his emotions, no one would be willing to follow him. He swallowed hard, gazing up at the group of people.

"Even if she's not alive," he said, "I know she's integral to the operation somehow. Before her death, she was closely monitored by Igor Vasiliev, Secretary of Public Health."

"Igor Vasiliev?" Mara asked, her eyes narrowed. "That man is dangerous. If your girlfriend was mixed up with him, there's no way she's alive."

"But if we can hack into his files, we can find out exactly what he's doing," he pressed on.

Mara laughed. "Good luck with that. We have a whole group of programmers, and no one's been able to hack into anything Zenithian-related. The entire thing is heavily encrypted."

Timmy felt defeated as the people of the Lower District stared at him, their eyes narrowed. He could tell that they didn't think much of him. He let out a sigh.

At that moment, his device beeped. Startled, he opened it and stared at the words on the screen, his eyes wide.

TRACE POSITIVE, the device read. LIFE-FORCE FOUND WITHIN SUBJECT.

Timmy let out a gasp. "I don't believe it," he whispered.

"What did you find?" Mara demanded, snatching the device from him. "What is it?"

Timmy snatched it back. "It's a device searching for her life-force," he breathed. "I had a strand of her hair with me, and analyzed its DNA with this. This has been scanning all throughout the realms, and trying to find if she's alive. It just came back and told me she's alive."

"But where is she?" asked Ivan. Timmy frowned, staring at the device.

"It gave me a reading relatively quickly," he said, "which means she must be somewhere near here. The device didn't tell me where she is, though."

"Very helpful," Mara said sarcastically.

"It _is_!" Timmy insisted. "Don't you see? She worked in Vasiliev's laboratory before this, which means that she knows more about it than anyone else! _And _she's a wonderful programmer, _and _she's a strong warrior! If I find her and bring her back, she _will_ help us win!"

"Anastasia the Resurrected," Ivan mused. "The one who should've died in the Omega Portal, but came back to life. She will make a powerful statement amongst the impoverished people, particularly the cyborg population of Zenith." He gazed at Timmy.

"Very well," he said. "We will join you in your bid to find Anastasia Ivanova."

"_Thank _you," Timmy breathed. For the first time in ages, a strength filled him from the inside. He could see a path ahead of him, one that would be difficult, but which he would follow every step of the way.


	4. Resistance Chronicles, Part 3 (fic)

**Hello, everyone! This takes place between the events of Chapters 33 and 34, just before Valtor invades Zenith.**

**Major spoilers for Seasons 1-3.**

* * *

The Resistance Chronicles, Part III

_The Ivanov House_

"Careful," Mara hissed as they headed towards the dimly-lit house.

Timmy gazed at his device, the one which had falsely told him that Mirta was a witch, that day when the Trix attacked. The device that Tecna had reprogrammed for him. Using what she'd taught him, he'd done some modifications, and now, it was ready to go.

This device was not only useful for detecting enemy-presence; with Rasputin's help, he had spent the past week trying to use it to sense Tecna's location. He had programmed it with details about her, including her height, physical characteristics, and other relevant information.

_But we need her serial number. _He knew that, in order to be fully accurate, he needed to find more information about her. And the best place to look was Tecna's old house.

Ahead of him, he saw gleaming metal. His eyes widened.

"Hide!" he hissed, shoving Rasputin into a bush. The robot scanned around, clearly suspicious of an intrusion. Sensing nothing, it continued to walk around the perimeter of the house.

"Get up, you idiots," Mara snapped. Clad in black, she seemed to blend in with the night itself. A belt of tools was around her waist, which Timmy knew she was very dexterous with handling. "We don't break into a house just by standing around here."

"I know that," Timmy snapped. Over the past week, he and Mara had been at somewhat of a stalemate, with both refusing to acknowledge the other's point-of-view. _Why should it matter to her why I joined the Resistance? _Getting Tecna out was his highest priority. _I have no obligation to serve her. I'm not a Zenithian! _He headed towards the house, staring up at the security.

An electric forcefield was around the house. There was a keypad at the front of the door, meant for a passcode. _It looks like Vasiliev recently installed it. _He frowned.

According to Flora, when she'd gone into Tecna's house, the entire place had been unguarded. Of course, that had been intentional; Vasiliev had lured her into a trap. But now, it was obvious that he didn't want people getting in.

_There must be something important in here. _He carefully walked up to the house, so as not to get caught up in the electricity. Connecting his device to the keypad, he began to hack into the system, trying to figure out its encryption.

Immediately, robots turned towards them. _They _know _they're being hacked! _In alarm, he typed furiously on his device.

"Aah!" Rasputin screamed in fright.

"_I'll _handle this," Mara said, drawing her blaster. She leapt into the air, landing atop a robot's back. Effortlessly, she sliced into its wiring, disabling it completely.

Timmy watched with admiration as she fought the robots. _She's _good_… _Turning back to the keypad, he continued to type furiously, trying to figure out how to circumvent the navigation.

"Rasputin, protect Lover Boy!" Mara ordered. "Make sure the robots don't get him!"

Timmy clenched his fists as he continued to type, coding around the system block. _Why can't she just call me Timmy, like everyone else? _Rasputin nervously drew his sword, feebly pointing it at a robot. He let out a shout as he was hauled into the air.

"Heee!" he shouted in fright. He was thrown into the electricity, squealing as it zapped through his veins.

"Ugh!" Mara's look was one of utter disdain. "Are you competing with Lover Boy to see who can be the _most _useless?"

Timmy glared at her, turning back to the device. _Wait, I've almost got it… _Typing in a sequence, he watched as the electric forcefield around the house disappeared. The robots stopped working and fell to the ground.

"Good," Mara said brusquely, picking Rasputin off the ground. She didn't even glance at Timmy. "We've got about ten minutes to scour the house before Vasiliev's bots come after us." She sauntered into the house.

_Do the words "thank you" mean anything to you? _Annoyed, he followed her inside, gazing around at the house. He shivered.

"Is it just me, or is Zenith cold?" he said to Rasputin. "Colder than normal, I mean?"

"Yeah," Rasputin said, grinning to reveal crooked and broken yellow teeth. "There's a legend amongst those of us in the Lower District. Ya ever heard the story of the Crystal of Zenith?"

"No," Timmy asked, immediately intrigued. "What is it?"

"According to legend, it's this _awesome _metallic crystal," Rasputin said, his eyes wide. "It is owned by each of the kings of Zenith. Rumor has it that it was removed from the Infinity by Josef Sokolov, the first premier of Zenith."

"What's the Infinity Room?" Timmy asked.

"A room that stretches on for _forever_," Rasputin said, his eyes wide. "It's this room located at the heart of the old Zenithian Palace, and has all the magical spells of this realm. It's _amazing_. Anyways, so the Crystal is supposed to keep Zenith's seasons in balance, but ever since it was removed, it's been getting colder and colder every year. It's been almost a thousand years since the dictatorship began; in Year 12, the communist insurgents cut off King Nikolai's head and started their regime. And now, things are going to get worse."

"How?" Timmy asked in worry.

"Well, regions of rural Zenith are already practically uninhabitable," Rasputin answered. "It's been averaging one-hundred degrees _below zero _for the past two years! But soon, the whole planet will suffer the same fate. Having been separated from its life-force for so long, the Crystal will soon die. And when it does, the Apocalypse will soon begin. A destructive blizzard will rage all over Zenith, killing everything and everyone." His eyes gleamed with madness. Timmy felt a horrific chill slither up his spine, one that he hadn't imagined before. "And then, all of Zenith will be destroyed" –

"SHUT IT!" Mara snarled, and Timmy jumped. "Why are you scaring Lover Boy with urban legends? We have a _mission _here, in case you've forgotten! Already Lover Boy doesn't need an excuse to leave us! So stop talking about things that don't _exist_!"

"Well then, how do you explain the fact that we don't have seasons anymore?" Rasputin pressed on.

Mara laughed bitterly. "How do you know there were _ever _seasons in the first place? It sounds like something our ancestors made up, a bedtime story for foolish children such as you. Thanks to your prattling, we have only seven minutes left." She glared at Timmy. "You have five minutes to find the information you need."

_Why do I always get the blame? _He stared around the house, and frowned. "We need to get to her bedroom." He headed up the stairs, running until he reached a set of three rooms. Entering through her room, he let out a gasp.

The room was bare. All of the things that Flora had said were there were no completely gone. There was no desk, no chest-of-drawers, _nothing_. He stared, completely shocked.

"So let me get this straight." Mara glared at him. "You risked all of our necks for a harebrained mission, in the foolish hope you'd be reunited with your girlfriend? How useless can you" –

"I'm _not _useless!" Timmy exploded. "I'm sick and tired of you always breathing down my neck! Just because things aren't happening immediately doesn't mean I won't find a way! You – I'm _sick _of you acting like" –

"Like what?" Mara retorted. "Like a responsible leader? You're acting with zero regard to all our lives! Just because _you're _willing to lay down your life for her doesn't mean the rest of us are."

"At least I'm not selfish!" Timmy snarled back. "I would do _anything _for her! _You _don't care about any of us! All you care about is your stupid agenda!"

"Hey, guys!" Rasputin shouted. "I sense something here!"

Mara immediately shut up. Turning around to him, she demanded, "What do you mean?"

"There's some kind of monitor in here," Rasputin said, an impish grin on his face. "It's gotta be connected to her internal wiring!"

"How do you know?" Timmy asked. Mara rolled her eyes.

"Because he's a cyborg himself," she answered. "He can sense things like that." Rasputin walked up to a vent on the side.

"Here!" he shouted triumphantly, pulling out a device. Opening it, Timmy stared as he read the words.

CYBORG IDENTIFICATION SCREEN, it read. ALL USERS MUST CARRY DURING TRAVEL. SUBJECT TO RANDOM INSPECTIONS.

_Cyborgs have to carry this around with them on Zenith? _Timmy thought in horror. The screen had all of Tecna's personal information on it. Even worse, _any _government-official could hack into it! He stared at it in amazement.

"What's her serial number?" Mara asked.

Timmy scanned the screen, seeing there were two numbers: her citizen ID, and her serial number. He found it.

"10242048," he said. "Okay, let's bring this whole thing with us." He was about to pocket it, but Mara slapped it away.

"Put it back," she hissed. "That thing will trace the Resistance's hideout!"

"But it could help me find her!" Timmy insisted. "It could" –

BANG. The sound of a colossal cannon filled the air. Timmy jumped in horror, staring forward. Mara grabbed a rope out of her belt; in a matter of moments, she had tied one end around her waist and the other on the curtainrod.

"Hold onto me!" she hissed.

Unbeknownst to her, Timmy shoved the screen into his pocket. He grabbed onto one of her arms, Rasputin grabbing the other. "Can't you just transform?" he asked, his teeth chattering with fear.

"It'll attract too much attention," Mara responded. "Come on!" She leapt off the windowsill.

The three of them screamed as they free-fell to the ground. Eventually, they dangled over the side. Timmy stared at the Zenithian ships, now bearing a flag with a 'V' insignia embroidered atop. In the distance, he thought he heard a chilling laugh, one with the intent to destroy all.

For that day, Zenith changed forever.


	5. Resistance Chronicles, Part 4 (fic)

**Hello, everyone. Make sure to read the first half of Chapter 38 before reading this.**

**Major spoilers for Seasons 1-3. ****Companion to Chapter 38 of AUP.**

* * *

The Resistance Chronicles, Part IV

_Sestra_

"Are you freaking kidding me?" Mara's furious voice exploded. "I _told _you not to bring that thing with you!"

It had been a week since the conquest of Zenith. On Duodecemensis 22, Valtor had flown into Zenith, staging an onslaught against Kremniy; by Duodecemensis 23, Premier Alexandrova was dead. Valtor had declared himself as Emperor of Zenith. It was Duodecemensis 30 now, and tensions were still high.

"Well, he hasn't caught us, has he?" Timmy pointed out. "Valtor's not a master of technology, nor does he have the support of people who _are _masters. We're able to get many more missions done now that the system's dismantled."

It was true. Now that the police-force and droid-system was practically in disarray, the Resistance was able to continue on many more undercover missions than before. Still, Mara wasn't buying it.

"The fact that you were even willing to _risk _that shows how much you don't care," she snarled. "And while we're on the subject, how much of that program have you actually _written_? Have you _got _us any closer to finding Anastasia?"

"No," Timmy said through gritted teeth, "but I'm trying, which is more than I can say for _you_!"

He froze. In the dim light of the tunnel, Mara's face had turn deadly, her eyes narrowed, and all color disappearing from her thin face. Her brown eyes pierced through to his soul.

"You say I'm not _trying_?" she whispered. Her voice was sharper than that of a knife's edge. "Every _minute _of my life is dedicated to the Resistance, to the betterment of life for my fellow citizens. And you had the _gall _to call _me_ selfish? _You _promised undying loyalty to our cause, but I have never seen that. _You _don't _care_!" She spat in his face. "Now get out of my sight."

"But" –

"Get out! _Get out_!" she hissed, pointing to the end of the tunnel.

Blindly, Timmy ran out of the tunnel, into the dim night. There was no one to be seen – everyone was hiding indoors, in fear of Valtor's new regime. Angrily, he sat on the curb, glaring into the night.

_I'm just useless, aren't I? _Everyone thought he was useless – even Tecna before her disappearance into the Omega Portal. _I can't believe I thought I was going to find her. _He buried his head in his hands.

He couldn't believe he'd ever thought he'd find her. No matter how hard he tried, he would never have the skills for anything. He wasn't good enough to be a Red Fountain hero, and he certainly wasn't good enough to find her. He buried his face in his hands.

"Hey."

Timmy jumped. Rasputin was standing behind him, and he felt a surge of irritation. "What?" he snapped. "Can't you see I'm not in the mood for your theatrics right now?"

True to his character, Rasputin wasn't offended – instead, he smiled. "Nah. Just hear to give ya some advice."

"What is it, O Great Master?" Timmy asked sarcastically. "More about Zenith's impending doom? 'Cause that's the _last _thing I want to hear now." The wind whipped past him, and he shivered at the cold.

"No," Rasputin answered. "I just wanted to say that, when Mara gets mad, she doesn't really mean it."

Timmy laughed. "Are you trying to tell me that she didn't _mean _to insult me?" He glared at Rasputin. "Every day, she tries to make my life miserable. Grumbles and complains at _every single thing _I do. It's just so annoying, okay?"

"Yeah, but here's the thing." Rasputin sat next to Timmy, uncomfortably close, and Timmy pulled away. Still Rasputin moved closer. "She gets mad and all that, but she's really cool. When I was a kid, she saved me from a police raid."

"Great," Timmy muttered, but Rasputin wasn't finished.

"She's also been through a lot," he said. "When she was only six, both of her parents were brutally murdered in a gang attack, and the Resistance took her in. Ever since then, she's been fighting for our cause."

"So you expect me to feel sympathy for _her_?" Timmy asked in disbelief. "My girlfriend disappeared into a _portal_, okay? In addition, she was abused by her employer for eight years, has faced multiple villains of the Magical Dimension, and everyone thinks she's _dead_! So excuse me if I don't feel sorry for her!"

"I'm not sayin' that," Rasputin protested. "I'm just tellin' ya to see the good in life – why dwell on the bad? She saved us from the Ivanov house – that was pretty awesome." His impish grin came back. "Ya know, ya _are _like her. She obsesses over the big picture, but I like to remind her about the little wins, every day of our" –

"I don't care!" Timmy yelled. "Listen, I've _had _it with you, Rasputin! You can convince yourself whatever you want about Mara, but I'm not coming back. I'm leaving, and I'm going to find my girlfriend by myself!"

"Timmy," Rasputin protested, but Timmy had already run off.

_I have to get out of here_, he thought. The Lower District had the most smog, especially at night, which would easily cloak him – he was amazed at how he'd gotten used to it in the past month. But he had enough stalling. For too long, he'd put off his most important mission – looking for Tecna.

_I'm done worrying about the Zenithians' need for freedom. Let them deal with it on their own. _He had a girlfriend to save.

He didn't know how he was going to get into the Middle District. This wasn't exactly a tourist area, and so it was very hard to find out where to go. But he would find a way. Panting, he made his way down the road.

And then froze as soon as he saw a glittering orange fairy above.

* * *

Immediately, Timmy drew his blaster. He could hear a giggling voice above him, one that sounded slightly silly and slightly delusional. Whatever it was, he had to be ready.

It happened all too soon. One moment, the orange fairy was flying, and the next second, he hit the ground. Dirt splayed everywhere, all onto Timmy's clothes, and the fairy let out a yell.

Timmy strode forward furiously. "What in Rajana's name do you think you're doing?" he snapped.

The fairy lifted his head. Timmy realized that he wasn't just _any _fairy – he was a little child. _Child or not, he still poses a threat. _Everyone in this forsaken realm posed a threat, and he wasn't about to forget it. "Put your hands up," he ordered.

The boy raised his hands. Timmy tied the rope around his wrists, and the fairy stared up at him. For a moment, he thought he was going to laugh at him again, but then he said just about the stupidest thing he'd ever heard. "You're a kid."

_How dare he? _In fury, Timmy kneed him, and the boy yelped as he fell to the ground. A tiny glimmer of regret rose in Timmy, but it was not enough for him to care. He glared down at the boy.

"Who do you think you are?" he snapped. "Are you a spy for the Zenithian government? Are you keeping track of me?"

The boy stared around the city stupidly, as if seeing it for the first time. In Timmy's eyes, he did not appear very intelligent. The orange-haired teen let out a snort.

"I take that back – there's no way you're a spy," he muttered. "You gleam bright orange against the sky."

"I do?" the boy asked stupidly. "How do I look?"

"Like a fool!" Timmy snapped. "Flying is forbidden above this city, you idiotic non-spy. I say you have about two seconds before you get caught by the police!" He stormed off, anger rising in his throat.

_I can't believe I wasted my time on this kid. _He had to get out of there, before the police arrived at the scene.

"Wait!" the kid called. "You can't leave me! I'm lost!"

"Figure it out yourself!" Timmy retorted. "I'm on a mission right now, and you're slowing me down!"

"I'm on a mission, too!" the kid shouted frantically. "To save the world! Don't you see? I'm the Lost Prince of Zenith!"

The teenager turned around and stared at him. He stared at his long purple hair, his glittering orange suit, his yellow bead at the center of his chest. _He _does _kind of look like that portrait I saw in History of Magic…_

_No, he isn't_, the voice in his head, one which was getting louder every day, responded back. _He's a fool! Don't let him make you a fool, too!_

Timmy threw back his head and laughed. Overcome with hysteria, he laughed painfully as the boy stared on.

"What kind of an idiot do you take me for?" he smirked. "The prince of Zenith is _dead_! He was born a thousand years ago!"

"It's true!" the boy insisted. "I was trapped in the ice for a thousand years!

"Okay, Your Highness." Timmy crossed his arms. "How do you explain how you went missing for _a thousand years_?"

"A thousand years ago, an ice-dragon of Omega froze me," the explained earnestly. "But since I have special powers, I was able to stop the ice from hurting me. Look!" He created a prism in his hands.

Timmy stared at the boy, his eyes wide. _That ancient power – one which hasn't been seen in centuries –_ "You – you" – he stuttered.

"That's right," Cyros grinned. "I've got the power of Prism-Making! And I'm gonna use it to save Zenith."

"I'm sorry, but I can't help you." Timmy turned abruptly and stalked off. _That's it, I can't take this anymore! _He had to leave as soon as possible.

"Wait!" the boy called. Timmy continued to walk, not turning around. "You've got to help me save Zenith! Don't you see the state of this place? We've gotta fix it!"

Timmy glared at the ground. _I'm not. I _can't_. _He'd spent a month with the Resistance, and what good had come out of that? All he'd done was waste his time. _I'm not helping a little kid now._

"Don't you see?" the boy shouted. "The whole world is in danger, and you're doing _nothing _about it! My _Sestra _would be so angry with you if she knew! You – you're being so mean right now!"

Something inside of Timmy snapped. He whirled around, glaring at the boy furiously, who took an alarmed step back.

"How _dare _you talk to me like that? You're nothing but a _child_! You haven't seen the world the way I have! My girlfriend is in danger, and I won't stop to" –

"You're being awful right now!" the boy screamed back. "When I find Tecna, I'm gonna tell her about how mean you were!"

Timmy felt as if his heart had stopped beating. _He… he… _Had his Tecna been found? He strode straight towards the boy, grabbing him by the shirt.

"Where. Is. She?" he whispered. His voice was quieter than he'd ever heard it, but the deadliness in it made it sharp, like a knife. "Where has she gone?"

"Some witches kidnapped her from Omega," the boy answered urgently. "I snuck atop their spaceship, but fell out before I could find out where they were going. I landed here."

Timmy smacked himself in the forehead. _Of course! _Tecna had been in Omega all this time, not on Zenith. _How in Rajana's name did I not realize that? _The portal, after all, had been to _Omega_, not Zenith.

Falling to his knees, Timmy pulled out his device. _I'm going to find her. _Using all of the updated information, he scanned the area.

A red dot was on the screen; above it, he could make out the words "Kremniy Laboratory" in the Common Tongue. His eyes widened.

"Let's go," he said, grabbing the boy by the arm.

"Wait!" he yelped. "What're you doing?"

"I'm taking you to find her!" Timmy snapped back. "She's being held in the Kremniy Laboratory, and I have to save her! And you're coming with me until I find her!" He dragged the boy on the ground.

He was going to find her, no matter what. She had to be around somewhere. Heart filled with determination, he strode forward, ignoring the child's shouts as he dragged him along.

Suddenly, he was blasted to the ground. He let out a yelp as the other boy was thrown to the side, both of them hitting the ground. His blood turned cold as he heard a drawl above them. "Going somewhere?"


	6. Resistance Chronicles, Part 5 (fic)

**The fifth part of Timmy's journey. I believe this will be the second-to-last installment of his arc – the sixth will come out with its corresponding chapter. I hope you enjoy!**

**Spoilers for Seasons 1-3. Companion to Chapter 40 of AUP.**

* * *

The Resistance Chronicles, Part V

_So Close_

Timmy lay huddled at the bottom of the cell, his face ashen. He didn't know how much time had passed since his capture, nor did it matter. No tears fell from his eyes, nor any sadness – he was too shocked. His eyes closed, he stared at the space ahead of him.

He had been so close. He had been just within reach of her, just about to find her. But now – he was locked up, in the very same building she was in. He was so close, yet so far.

_Why couldn't I get her? _Why had everyone been so determined to get in his way? First Mara, then Rasputin, and now this boy-princeling. He couldn't believe they'd let him lose her.

He could only imagine what horrors she was going through now. How badly were they torturing her? What was Valtor doing to her? Horror after horror drifted through his head.

_I can't save her. _He bowed his head, feeling worse and worse. _I failed._

He let out a shuddering breath. Throughout all of his time searching for her, failure had never been an option. He had never believed that he may not reach Tecna, or doubted that she was alive. It had just never been part of his mind.

Now he realized, for the first time, that he might not find her. That he might not ever see her again. The thought cut through his heart like a sword. _I may not ever be reunited with her… never, ever again…_

Tears fell from his eyes. He lowered his head, wondering what Tecna would think of him, if she could see him now. _Probably that I'm a coward. He_ was the one who'd let her go, and it was _his _fault that she was gone. _What would she say?_

What would _Flora _say? Tecna's best-friend, who'd likely known all along he'd go on this impossible mission, but never told anyone? The girl who'd never hesitated to help Tecna, long before he'd even met her? The girl he'd trusted to open the laptop for him? What would she have done in his place?

_She would've probably joined the Resistance. _Flora was a better person than him, far better than he could've ever imagined. The girl didn't have a selfish bone in her body, and was one of the bravest people he'd ever seen. _But I _had _to help Tecna – so why –_

An electric volt suddenly hit him in the sides, burning him to his core. It took away all of his sense of thought – only pain shot through him. It seemed to last forever, this white-hot pain that took everything from his body. Then it disappeared, and he fell to the ground.

"Crying," a voice said above him, "is forbidden by law."

Timmy stared upwards, tears in his eyes. From behind the bars, a man was pointing a stun-blaster at him, his expression deadly. Slowly looking around, he quickly took note of his surroundings.

The cell to his right was closed off from him – a cement wall divided the two. Nonetheless, he knew it contained Cyros. He gazed through the bars, and with his limited vision, stared to his right.

He knew that there were guards in front of Cyros's cell, just as there were in front of his. _Guards that can easily be swayed… _Almost instinctively, furiously, he lifted his head.

"Guards!" he shouted. "Yoo-hoo! Over here!"

The guard snapped his head up, pointing the blaster straight at him. His eyes shined furiously.

"Don't even think about escaping," he snarled. "You won't prevail!" He pointed the blaster straight at Timmy, ready to shock him to the ground.

This time, Timmy was ready. Leaping out of the way just as the electricity hit, he swung onto the bars, glaring defiantly at the men. More of them pointed blasters at him, but he stayed put.

"What's the matter?" he taunted. "Can't catch me?"

A man with a sword ran at him, sticking it through the bars, but Timmy grabbed it. With the sword, he deflected all the blaster-jets, sending them straight at the men. Many of them shouted and fell back. A few men from Cyros's cell ran towards him, replacing the men who'd fallen.

_Let's hope Cyros gets the message. _He knew he'd never be able to escape from the cell, but he knew Cyros would. For the truth had finally dawned on him.

He could blame everyone he wanted for his failure to find Tecna. He could blame Mara, Rasputin, and Cyros for as long as he wanted, but in the end, they weren't responsible. They'd simply been people in a messed-up society, people always taken advantage of by the cowards at the top. _Cowards like me. _It was all becoming clear to him now.

It didn't matter whether he ever found Tecna or not. He knew she was alive, and that he'd have to act quickly if he wanted her to stay alive. _What matters is her safety. _Even if he couldn't be the one to save her, he was damn well going to make sure she got out safely, far away from harm.

_I've been lying to myself all this time. I've been telling myself that she needs me, that I have to save her from harm. But the truth is, she doesn't need me. _I _need _her_. If I want Tecna to survive, I can't be selfish. _He gazed upwards, out of his cell.

Through the blaster-jets, he saw Cyros. The boy-prince had freed himself from his trappings, and was staring at Timmy, anguish in his eyes. Timmy gazed at him, sorrow in his eyes.

The gaze seemed to last forever. A gaze that conveyed everything he could possibly feel, it was worth more than a thousand loves. _I'm sorry. _People like Flora and Tecna had faced their foes with unflinching bravery. Whereas they'd faced Death in the face, he'd always hidden away, selfishly hoping it'd never reach him.

But they had inspired him more than they would ever know. He would choose to be brave, choose to be unselfish, so that his Tecna could live. He watched as Cyros disappeared around the corner, running into the lab.

He gasped as the electricity hit him. The man with the stun-blaster had managed to get him, and he felt powerless as the electricity ran through his veins. But unlike last time, he felt no pain – only relief. Collapsing to the ground, he lay still as the men walked up to him.

"We'll take him to the high-security dungeons," one of them said. "He won't be able to escape there."

"Let's put him on Sleeping Draught," one of them suggested. "Stop him from causing trouble."

Timmy gasped as the man forced his head upward. A wizard flew towards him, holding a cauldron in his hands. He poured the cloudy substance down Timmy's throat.

His eyes began to droop. As the tasteless liquid flowed through his veins, he felt his entire body shutting down, waves of exhaustion coming over him. _I can sleep at last, knowing Tecna will be safe. _Peace washed over him as he fell to the ground, knowing she would be free at last.


	7. Resistance Chronicles, Part 6 (fic)

**Hey guys! So… remember when I said this would be the last one? Well, I lied. I realized that someone who read RC without reading any of AUP would have no idea what was going on if I did a timeskip and posted the RC after this one (which will be the last) instead of posting this one. I'm not sure if I said that in a way that made sense, but what I'm trying to say is that this isn't the last one – the next one will be posted today, though.**

**If you've already read Chapter 44 of AUP, this is basically extracted from that. The seventh one is its own thing entirely. I just wanted the RC readers to be aware.**

**Spoilers for Seasons 1-3. Companion to Chapter 44 of AUP.**

* * *

The Resistance Chronicles: Part VI

_Finding Hope_

His head felt as if it had been shoved underwater and banged repeatedly against a wall. Every second, it was a struggle to breathe, and all around him was darkness.

The pain was far too much for him to handle. He felt as if it was burning into him, destroying every part of his body. He couldn't move. All throughout this time, he had succumbed to the dark void within him, the one that kept him trapped.

Through the darkness, he thought he could see a face ahead of him. A woman's face was ahead of him, and she was smiling - but not in a pleasant way. Her emerald eyes were cruel and catlike as she gazed at him.

"Hello, Timothy," she said, her voice a sneer. "So glad you could make it." Her eyes glinted. "Lucky to have made it this far, are you?"

"I don't know what you mean," Timmy's voice wavered.

"You're smarter than I thought you'd be, I'll give you that," she smirked. "But still a fool, as always. Fighting for a lost cause!"

"You're _not _a lost-cause!" Timmy yelled back. "I tried to save her, Flora! I really did!"

"Oh, you thought I was talking about _me_?" she laughed. "Then you're even stupider than I thought. No, Timothy, I was talking about _you_!"

Timmy's heart thudded. He stared dismally at her, at her cruel eyes and dark spirit. Then countless more faces appeared in the dark.

"You always keep fighting for your right to be recognized." First appeared Sky's face, his blond hair flowing elegantly and prettily down his face. "But what's the point, when you don't even know how to fight?"

"You're just weak," Brandon added, holding his arms up. Timmy's heart hammered as he saw Brandon's huge muscles.

"Stop!" he shouted. "That doesn't mean" -

"You couldn't even play magiball," his father said. "All those times we took you to the field, and you never learned. How pathetic."

"You were the child we never wanted," his mother added. "You were just an _accident_."

"Yeah, Timothy," another voice added. Timmy stared up at Jay Singh, whose blue jersey gleamed at him. His black hair, hair that everyone in his family but him and Saladin possessed, was long and sleek. "How could anyone _ever _want you, when they have me?"

"Stop it!" Timmy bawled. "Stop it! Stop it!"

"I never wanted you to come to Red Fountain," Saladin added. "You're so lucky you got in, boy. Mark my words, you don't deserve to be part of my prestigious establishment!"

Now tears were running freely down Timmy's face. He lowered his head, and then all the voices joined together in unison.

"Failure," they chanted, their eyes darkening. "Failure! Failure! Failure!"

"No!" Timmy cried out. He collapsed to the ground.

He refused to look up as the people swirled around him, cackling. _They all hate me… _He shuddered, filled with pain. Then he heard footsteps, and then stared up.

Tecna was walking towards him, her neon eyes glowing. She stared down at him, knelt on the ground. Unlike the others, she had no expression on her face, no emotion whatsoever. Through the glow of her eyes, her metal arm and leg gleamed. Her voice too was flat and lifeless.

"You abandoned me," she said. "You left me, when I needed you the most. It's because of _you _that I disappeared down the Omega Portal in the first place."

"I know!" Timmy cried. "I wanted to make it up to you, Tec!"

"You're too late," she answered coldly. "I'm far, far out of your reach now."

_No_, Timmy thought. _That can't be true! _He stared up at Tecna.

As he stared at her, he thought he could see something. The faint outline of wings, just behind her. Unlike the triangular wings from before, though, these were much more elaborate. He stared at those, and then stared up at Tecna's eyes.

_This isn't Tecna_, he realized. There had been a time, in past years, when Tecna would've been cruel like this. But this was not the Tecna he'd fallen in love with, not the Tecna who existed now. Never in the past year had she ever spoken to him like this. She had treated him with nothing but kindness, though there had been always a certain wariness he'd detested. He'd felt that she was avoiding him, because she thought he was weak.

_But that's not true_, he realized. _She was only trying to protect me. From dark forces I never could've imagined. _He stared forward.

_Now it's my turn to protect her. It's my turn to get out into the world, to save her from herself! _He turned towards all the apparitions, shaking his head sadly.

"Goodbye," he murmured. They all vanished into mist, leaving nothing but memories in their wake.

Then the darkness began to fade. He slowly felt himself starting to regain consciousness, feeling his body again. First his fingers and his toes, and then his arms and legs, and then, his heart. The last to regain feeling was his head as he opened his eyes, staring around.

He was in a prison-cell. Vaguely, he remembered having a potion shoved down his throat, darkness condensing on him like night. _But for how long? _He stared around.

There was only one way to find out. He ran to the bars, trying to push through, but they held firm. Staring helplessly, he knew there was a spell on them, preventing them from opening.

Suddenly, a rumble sounded above him. Timmy gasped in horror as he saw the ceiling breaking, threatening to fall onto his head. He let out a cry.

_I have to get out of here, and _fast_!_

* * *

The ceiling was about to give way. From his position in the bars, Timmy stared up helplessly.

_I can't believe it! _He wasn't going to let himself die now, not at this moment. _I have to get out of here! _He stared up frantically, pushing at the bars.

To his shock, the bars bent ever-so-slightly. The metal was rather weak and easily bendable - and it looked new, too. As if it'd been constructed during Valtor's reign.

_The miners must've shipped him weak metal_, Timmy realized. _He may have taken over their nation, but not their hearts! _But if he broke the bars, the ceiling's supports would be completely gone.

_I'll have to be quick. _Using all the strength he had, he squeezed his skinny body through, breaking the bars. They bent more and more, and more material fell from the ceiling. Timmy stared upwards, his mouth hardening.

_Now! _Using all his strength, he shoved his way through, forcing himself in through the bars. He managed to reach the other side, falling to the floor just as the ceiling caved in.

_I made it! _Nearly weeping with relief, he pulled himself to his feet, running towards the exit.

Now all he had to do was search around. Search, and find out where Tecna was. He headed down the hall, glancing around.

_The laboratory. _He was in the laboratory, the place where Tecna was being held. Overjoyed, he reached into his pocket, and then frowned.

_My locating device - it's gone! _The guards must've taken it from him when he was arrested. Frustrated, he stared around, trying to figure out where he was.

But just then, an idea came to him. _If I can get to the sanctum of the laboratory, maybe I can create a new one! _He had memorized all of the details about Tecna's cyborg-programming, including her serial-number. Creeping into the side of the hall, he found a mecha-suit, hiding inside.

The disguise worked. He headed down the corridor, looking through the suit's programming to find the location of the central chamber. _Due south. _In relief, he followed the directions, walking past robotic and human guards alike.

* * *

Timmy gazed around at the circular room in awe. The dome, he could tell, was a feat of engineering, something he could've never imagined before. The glass shined brightly, bringing light inside. It was almost beautiful.

If it wasn't for the horrors certainly held in this room, it would be.

Timmy gazed around the room, at the computers on the side. _If only I can find a phone here… _He headed to one of the computers' desks, finding a phone inside the drawer. Gazing at the computer in front of him, he frowned.

The test-tube the computer was supposed to control was gone. Every single one of the purple test-tubes was intact, but the one in front of him wasn't. _That's odd. _Frowning, he connected the phone to the computer. Using the programming mechanisms he'd used before, he coded it to understand Tecna's location.

Since this phone was much newer than his device, it was able to understand his directions easily. He entered the software, and the phone bleeped.

SOFTWARE UPLOADING, it read.

_It'll take another thirty minutes for it to upload_, Timmy thought. In the meantime, he would wait. Gazing around the room, he frowned.

A chalice of golden liquid was before him. He walked up to it cautiously, staring at its bubbling surface. _Is that a potion? _He pulled out the phone, scanning its surface.

MADE OF FLORES DE IRIS AND METAL, the reading came back.

_What's that for? _Timmy thought curiously. He gazed down, staring at the pot in fascination.

He was so busy with his new discovery, he didn't even hear anyone enter the room. Only when something cold touched the back of his head did he recoil in surprise. He slowly turned around, and had the shock of his life.

A glass cannon stared straight into his face, threatening to strike at any moment. It had the same sickly purple color as the test-tubes, and was likely made out of the same material. _A superweapon… _Vasiliev was perched above on the balcony, his eyes glimmering.

"Make one move," he warned, "and you'll wish you were never born."


	8. Resistance Chronicles, Part 7 (fic)

**This is the final RC! Thank you so much for reading, everyone!**

**Spoilers for Seasons 1-3. Companion to Chapter 36 of AUP.**

* * *

The Resistance Chronicles: Part VII

_Turquoise Eyes_

If Timmy could have used one word to describe what the cannonhole looked like, it was _bottomless_. The huge, gaping opening of the cannon gleamed impossibly purple, and not a pleasant, soothing purple. Murky and ill, it was filled with sickness deep inside.

Time seemed to stand still. He could hear Vasiliev's cold laugh echoing through the room, his demonic appearance filling him with dread. The normally well-kept man was now completely disheveled, his hair falling all around. Revealing himself as the animal he truly was.

_He deserves to die the most painful death possible. _He had destroyed Tecna completely, making her fall in Omega and lose all sense of self. He clenched his fists behind his back, wishing more than anything that he could punch him to the ground.

But he knew he had to remain levelheaded. If he so much as lifted his hands, he would be dead – and that wouldn't do anything to save Tecna. _I must wait until the time is right. _Vasiliev leered over him, sneering.

"This room is beautiful, isn't it?" he laughed. "I used it to build the greatest plague in the world, one that is ripping the world to shreds right now. Even as we speak, Magix is crumbling at its seams!"

_What? _Timmy gasped in horror. _What does he mean? What's _happening? Feeling weak, he stared forward.

"Any last words?" Vasiliev laughed.

Timmy didn't answer immediately – instead, he surveyed the cannon. He could tell it had the power to destroy everything in its path, killing so, so many people. _It'll destroy this room – and everything inside –_

Suddenly, an idea came to him. Feigning indifference, he stared up at Vasiliev and said, "Fine. Go ahead."

"What?" Vasiliev snarled.

"Go ahead and wipe me out," Timmy answered, doing his best to control the bubbling anger inside. "You'll wipe out all your inventions with it. The disease was made here, wasn't it? If you press that button, then _everything _you've worked so hard for will be gone."

Slowly, Vasiliev's expression changed. He stared slowly around the room, as if he'd just realized something. Then his expression changed again, a raspy, furious snarl that indicated his fury.

"You would dare try to hold leverage over _me_?" he snarled. "Do you realize I can end you right here and now?"

Yes, Timmy was painfully aware of that. He could feel the cannon's presence beating down on his forehead, knowing that one misstep was all it would take. Yet, a calmness like he'd never known before had taken over him, filling him with quiet strength.

"Yes," he answered simply. "Yes, I dare."

Vasiliev bellowed curses. He swore and paced around on his machine, staring around at the room. Yet he did nothing, for he clearly knew that Timmy was right.

"Very well then, child," he sneered. He turned around his machine, heading out the door. Timmy exhaled in relief, stunned at how he'd managed to get away so easily.

His relief was short-lived. A second later, chains shot out of the glass floor and bound him to the wall. He let out a gasp in horror, and Vasiliev smiled.

"You won't be getting out of here," he laughed. "Have fun rotting in eternity." His machine zoomed down the corridor and out of sight.

Timmy stared helplessly, trying to look around. _What am I going to do? _How was he going to get him free from here now?

He stared over at the bubbling liquid, trying to discern his surroundings. The chains were made of very strong steel, and it would be very difficult for him to pull it off. However, he could still shuffle around – just close enough to the chalice.

He pushed himself closer to it, staring around. And then he saw it. A glass mirror was right below the table containing the chalice. Its surface gleamed impossibly clearly back at Timmy, and he stared in shock.

_Could it be a – _He stared in shock, wondering if it was going to help him.

There was only one way to find out. Pushing his chain forward, he delicately stood in front of the mirror. He leaned down and, with his head, gently nudged some liquid out of the chalice without spilling it all.

As soon as it hit the mirror, it bounced back. Zooming upwards to his hands, it smacked straight into the chains, melting them completely. He stared at his wrists in astonishment, and then smiled. Picking up the chalice, he poured some onto the ankle-chains, destroying them.

"_Now_ we're talking," he breathed. Placing the chalice back, he picked up the magic mirror, gazing at its surface. Tucking it under his arm, he ran out the corridor and into the night.

He burst out into the street, staring around. People were looking rather worried, and were heading quickly inside, muttering to each other. Staring upwards, he immediately discovered the reason why.

A dark cloud was overhead, pouring ice and snow everywhere. Huge claps of thunder shook the city. The cloud was straight over the fortress, and he gasped in shock.

_I have to get there! _He knew, instinctively, that Tecna was somewhere in the fortress, and that something was happening to her. He ran forward, heading towards the castle.

Inside, he could see warriors and robots fighting, all of the warriors wearing blue-and-orange uniforms. He stared around, trying to see if he could get to the back of the castle quickly enough.

There was only one problem: there was no entry-point. Growling in frustration, he searched around, trying to find a place where he could climb.

_There. _Spotting a rope hanging from the turrets, he grabbed onto it, climbing upwards to the top. Running along the edge, he leapt from tower to tower. For every robot that ran at him, he held his mirror in-front, using it as a shield.

_Whoever said I'm not agile clearly hasn't seen me now. _When Tecna was involved, nothing would get in his way – not even the highest of turrets. Leaping across to the last one, he stared forward.

He was in front of a square-like building. Ahead was a frozen forest, with snow and ice shooting out of the cloud. A group of fairies were there, trying desperately to battle the machine he'd just seen. _Vasiliev. _Heart pounding, he stared upwards and froze.

_It's Flora and the other girls! _He had to stop Vasiliev from hurting them. Leaping off the tower, he landed smoothly on the snow, running forward.

He was getting closer and closer. Snow whirled in his face, but he pushed through, not allowing it to stop him. It stuck to his glasses, blinding him completely so he could see nothing but white.

_Come on! _Gritting his teeth, he pushed through the pain, forcing himself forward. He continued to run blindly, towards the sound of the grating machine and the screaming girls. _Almost there, almost there…_

Suddenly, a magical blast knocked the snow off of his glasses. Staring around in disbelief, he stared at the girls in front of him, shocked that he was able to see. They were lying on the snow, completely unable to move. Turning to his left, he stared at the machine and froze.

A fairy with a purple vest and shorts was lying on the ground. The cannon was pointed directly at her, and she let out a cry, her unmistakable electric-blue eyes wider than the moon. Vasiliev let out a laugh.

"I told you I would destroy you," he snarled. "Now has come my chance. It is time for you to end, as you should've ended long ago!" He fired.

_No! _Fury like he'd never known built up in him. He leapt forward, holding his magic mirror in front of him. The cannonfire made direct contact with the mirror, and he winced at the force it took to hold it in front of him.

He glanced back at Tecna, who was staring at him in amazement. Her jaw dropping, she looked like he'd never seen her before – awed and shocked and jubilant and terrified all at the same time. He stared at her deeply, embedding the sight of her into his mind.

"I've found you, and I'm not leaving you!" he shouted. "Do you hear me, Tec? I'm never going to leave you again!" Turning his mirror towards Vasiliev, he shoved forward, using all his energy to send the cannonfire back.

Vasiliev bellowed in rage as the force of the cannon's jet shot towards him. Leaping out of the way just in time, he shouted, "You foolish boy" –

"I dare, Vasiliev!" Timmy shouted back. "Tecna will never have to fear you or your abuse ever again! This is what you get, for all of your wrongs!" He turned the mirror straight on Vasiliev.

Vasiliev shouted in pain as the killing blast shot straight through his heart, knocking him down. The light died out of his eyes, and he lay on the grass, completely motionless. The cannon fell off the machine.

Then Timmy's legs gave way. The mirror flew from his hands, hitting the ice with a thud. He fell flat on his face, straight to the ice.

"No!" he heard Tecna's voice behind him.

Timmy exhaled. _You're okay, Tecna – that's all I ever wanted. _He closed his eyes, letting darkness overcome him once more.

* * *

The next thing he knew, Timmy's hands and feet were awakening. He slowly regained consciousness, feeling coming back to every part of his body. A gentle breeze wafted past him, filled with warmth.

_Wait! _Since when was Zenith ever _warm_? Opening his eyes, he stared upwards, and let out a gasp.

The trees had shining chestnut bark and beautiful currents of energy. Energy shot through the entire land, filling him with a warmth he'd never known. Grass, _orange _grass, shot out of the ground. The sky was a stunning, beautiful turquoise.

He stared upwards, slowly. And then he saw Tecna, sitting cross-legged ahead of him, a smile on her face. Her purple shorts and vest billowed gently around her waist, framed with lime-green and orange streaks. Her magenta hair, normally in a pixie-cut, now fell down her shoulders, slightly curling at the ends. Long purple sandals climbed up her leg, beautifully contrasting with her white legs. Her angelic purple wings gave her so much strength, so much power. He stared deeply into her electric-blue eyes, which looked exactly like the sky.

"You're alive!" he cried out, leaping into her arms. "_We're _alive!" She hugged him tightly, filling him with warmth.

"I mean – of _course _you're alive," he said, sheepishly. "I never doubted it for a moment."

"_I _did." Riven stared at Tecna in disbelief. "I can't believe you're" –

"Would you do what he did for me, Riven?" Musa asked slyly. Riven grunted and stared at Tecna, completely taken by shock.

"You found her!" Mirta beamed at Timmy, delight in her eyes. "I can't believe it! You are truly amazing, Timmy!"

"Yeah," Timmy sighed, pulling back from Tecna's arms. He gently brushed aside a lock of her hair, staring into her eyes.

She had grown so much since he'd seen her last. Her face was filled with such hope, and there were no longer dark circles around her eyes. Tears fell down his face, and he cried, rocking Tecna in his arms.

He cried because he had watched her slow, painful descent into fear and anxiety, all throughout the first semester. He cried because she'd had to make that cruel sacrifice, truly feeling as if she had no other option. He cried for all the torture Vasiliev had put her through all those years, and because she'd had to suffer so much, without him. Even now, he could still see the pain in her eyes, everything she'd been through.

But most of all, he cried because he was so glad she was safe. And that she was there now in his arms, never to leave him again.

He gazed upwards. Bloom and Sky were just heading out of the forest, talking to each other. Sky nodded to the Specialists, saying, "We need to radio Faragonda immediately. We'll give you guys some time to catch up."

Timmy's eyes shot up, and he stared forward. Turning towards Tecna, he said, "Actually – I need to show you something."

"What?" Riven asked.

"I found something inside the lab," Timmy said. "A chalice with liquid inside. Vasiliev told me about the disease."

"The one that's been ripping us all apart?" a fairy-man with a purple tunic and glowing wings asked.

"Yeah, that's the one." Timmy frowned, not recognizing the man, but deciding not to press the issue. "It has the disease's antidote."

"We need to recover it immediately!" gasped Mirta.

"Lead us to it," Sky said. "We'll find it."

Timmy frowned nervously at Tecna, who smiled at him.

"Go," she said softly. "I'll be here, with my friends. I've waited months to see you; I can wait a few hours."

He smiled at her. "Thank you," he whispered, following the Specialists, Mirta, and the fairy-man towards the fortress.

* * *

"Here we have it," Riven said, pointing to the chalice.

Mirta and the fairy-man – Nabu, his name was – levitated it carefully into the air. Sky held the door. The group walked out of the chamber, and Sky motioned for Timmy to follow.

He was about to, but then he frowned, gazing around the chamber. "There's something I want to do first."

"Not something stupid, I hope?" Riven asked shortly.

"Well, kind of," Timmy admitted. "I want to destroy this chamber."

"_What_?" Sky gasped. "You'll get yourself killed!"

"Look, I know this chamber has some kind of significance for Tecna," Timmy answered, "and I want it gone. I don't want what Vasiliev did to ever haunt her. I want it all to disappear from her life."

"But she'll always have some kind of sadness with her," Mirta said. "You can't do that, Timmy."

"I know," he answered, "but that doesn't mean I'm not going to try."

"Get the antidote to the spaceship," Mirta told Riven, Sky, and Nabu. "I'll stay with him and make sure he doesn't knock his head off." They left, and she stood with Timmy, frowning.

"I still think you're crazy," she said, "but I understand why you need to do it." She frowned. "Do you want me to blast it? I'll use my magic."

Timmy shook his head. "It has to be me." Bending down, he picked up an ice-stone from the ground – one that hadn't melted from the magical energy. _I'm only going to get one shot. _Poising his mirror directly at one of the test-tubes, he threw the ice-stone onto its surface.

It shot out into the test-tube, ricocheting off of all of them. The chemicals inside burst out, and then all exploded. Mirta grabbed Timmy and flew him away, far from the circular room.

From the air, he watched as the entire room exploded, shards of glass flying everywhere. The liquid vaporized instantly, going up in smoke.

_Just like everything Vasiliev's done. _For that man was nothing, no longer a threat towards anyone. He let out a sigh of relief, finally putting everything Vasiliev had done to peace with himself.


End file.
